The Knight, The Witch, and the Bastard Prince
by Emerald Whirlwind
Summary: We all know how Jason Blood became Etrigan, but how did he come to know Morgaine le Fey? And what was his connection to her son, Mordred? Takes place in the DCAU continuity, as well as my own personal DC continuity.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters depicted within, obviously. Jason Blood/Etrigan is copyright to DC Comics.**

**Author's Note: So I just recently finished the entirety of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and loved it, and I really loved the backstory that they gave for Jason, even though it's probably not so easy to follow in the comics. This story takes place chronologically before the beginning of the episode "A Knight of Shadows" (this opening prologue even more so), and is in line with both the DCAU continuity and my own personal DCU continuity, so it probably won't match up to the comics very well. Please note that this is my first time writing publicly and that I will (hopefully!) get better in time, so for the meantime, please enjoy!**

_It just keeps getting worse!  
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The young sorceress pacing around her cottage was so stressed she seemed ready to have a fit at any moment. _How am I going to tell Arthur? _Should _I tell Arthur? Should I just run away from this whole kingdom and never return? _It had been at least four months since she'd had that wonderful moment of weakness with her half-brother, a moment that she could never bring herself to completely regret, and now she had become fully aware of the growing bump in her stomach that she just couldn't ignore._ My life, it just keeps getting worse! _The amber flames in the fireplace seemed to crackle in agreement with her frantic movements. She was going to start wanting to kill things if this agitation didn't let up soon. And she didn't really feel like mustering up the strength to go and start terrorizing innocent civilians, even if it would take her mind off of this pounding in her chest.

With a small cry of anger, the young woman collapsed into her small chair near the fire and buried her face into her knees. _Come on Morgaine, _she thought to herself, _ You can do this. All you have to do is ask Arthur to take in the child once it is born. Even if it can't be royalty, it can at least have a father who loves it. Even if I can never see it again, I will at least know that it is safe deep within Camelot's walls. _Morgaine began to tug at her long, black hair, that damned nervous habit that she could never seem to get rid of, and looked into the small mirror on her mantle. She had always tried to give off an air of confidence and sophistication, like her mother and sisters had always seemed to do with ease, but in the end, all she really was was just a scared young lady with magical powers. In the end, she was what she'd always feared she'd become. And at this moment, she wondered if that was all she'd ever be. _I'll do it,_ she decided, _I'll go to-night and _make_ him listen to me. I'll take on every guard in the castle if I have to! _Although she sincerily hoped that she wouldn't have to use her magic for this venture. It was one thing to magically force someone to love you for a night, another to completely destroy their home.

) O (

Night had fallen in Camelot, and since it was a new moon, the land was blanketed in a darkness far more advanced than was normal. Because of this, along with the fact that the kingdom was currently experiencing one of the coldest winters in memory, Morgaine found it rather easy to get through the castle gates undetected. The cold had spread illness to many of the palace guards and had left the entire complex quite short of staff. Turning into a shadow and gliding across the walls was almost too easy. She slunk through the familiar surroundings like a cat does its territory, remembering how a few months earlier she'd taken this route almost exactly, just so that she could get to her beloved half-brother. Of course, her intentions at that point in time had been rather different, but it was technically because of him that she was making this trip anyway, so she felt the need to compare it to something.

At last, she reached the chambers of the great King Arthur. A simple sleeping spell on the guards in front of the room and she walked inside, practically holding her breath in tension. "Arthur?" she spoke tentatively, "May I have a word?" Arthur stirred and looked around his room for the source of the voice, causing Morgaine to shrink further into the darkness. Arthur's wife, Guinivere, had begun to stir as well. Morgaine used a bit more magic to make her voice only be heard by Arthur, and said with much more assertion, "Arthur, I wish to speak with you!" "Morgaine?" the tired king spoke with uncertainty. "Yes, it is I." she replied, "Now come out of your room immediately. This is urgent."

The king was understandably irritated with this intrusion into his quarters, and left his bedroom nearly fuming. "Alright Morgaine," he spoke in a voice that was quiet yet seemed much louder, " I am out of my room, and now you tell me what was so important that you dared to show your face in my palace again!" Well, this reunion seemed to be going quite well. At that little outburst, she stepped out into the faint light of the castle walls, revealing the sight of her now swelled midsection. At first, it seemed as though Arthur didn't understand why she wasn't speaking, but over time, a look of realization slowly spread across his face. He turned his face downward, looking simultaneusly angered and bewildered. It really was a sight to see. "I was hoping that you would consider taking in the child as your own." Morgaine said solemnly.

"That was quite a wishful hope."

Morgaine was shocked by how much spite managed to fill every word of that sentence. "You don't even care that it is your child, Arthur?" "As far as I am concerned, that isn't my child." the king said with acidity. Morgaine could feel her magic burning her hands as she tried to remain calm. Arthur saw the faint glow from her hands and shifted his face to a haughty smirk. "Go ahead." he said with a challenging tone, "Use your magic on me once more, sister. That's how you've gotten everything else in your life is it not?" Morgaine was getting more flustered by the minute. "You know that isn't true, brother!" "Are you sure? From what I recall, you couldn't even get the man you loved to lie with you without the use of magic." Morgaine couldn't think of a response besides gritting her teeth harder than she ever had before. "And now," Arthur continued, "you expect me to care for this welp that you created through your perversions," his voice was becoming close to a yell, "and soil my good name by caring for this bastard child I wanted nothing to do with! Well I have news for you dear sister," he was getting close to Morgaine's face, "I. will. never. raise. your. little. abomination. EVER!"

"Is that your final decision?" Morgaine was almost in tears from frustration. How could her brother be this uncaring? Even when she had come to him in this, her most desperate and humiliating moment? She was starting to wonder why he'd ever been considered a worthy heir to the throne. "Yes." Arthur said as blunt as a rock. The young sorceress couldn't take anymore, and through tears and strained voice managed to croak out "Fine then." She fled from the castle as fast as her magic could carry her and didn't bother looking back. She figured that her brother would probably make up some story to explain his shouting to his wife. She didn't care. She was more focused on the fact that she was truly alone with this child, and no one was ever going to help her again. Arthur would make sure of that.

) O (

A few months later, thanks to some help from her magicks (You'd be surprised what wonders some herbs and energy work could do), Morgaine gave birth to a healthy, screaming baby boy. Exhausted, she held the child to her chest and looked at it in happiness, however her contented smile didn't last very long. She noticed that although the boy was lovely, his features looked almost exactly like Arthur's, from his blonde locks to his royal facial structure. She stared at the tiny royal laying in her arms and gained a new, bitter smile. She would now have to be reminded of this mistake for the rest of her life every time she looked at her son. She held the sleeping babe to her chest and wept late into the night.


	2. A Chance Meeting

Jason Blood was not one to complain about things that couldn't be changed, especially since it would be against the code of chivalry for him to, but for once he wished that he didn't have to make rounds around the kingdom as always. There were still matters of diplomacy with a neighboring kingdom to think about, regarding a recent confrontation with said kingdom's war general over how to deal with an army of monsters hoping to overthrow Camelot, as well as other matters having to do with Camelot's current security. So the last thing Jason felt like doing during all of this diplomatic chaos was parading about the kingdom just to look imposing and possibly stop trouble-makers with a stern look or two. But, the only reason the Knights of the Round Table were gallivanting through Camelot was to reassure the people that the kingdom was as safe as ever. Still, this was possibly the only time he ever wished that something terrible would happen just so he could abandon his post.

~ooo~

Erstwhile, at the same time Jason was contemplating heading back to the palace to set Arthur's priorities straight, a young boy was currently grabbing some herbs that definitely weren't paid for beforehand. He couldn't help that his mother didn't have any money to spend on things such as herbs. That tended to happen when you were outcasted and considered a monster by the populace. _Or when you have no sort of income..._ But none of that mattered to the small child who was now running through the marketplace. All the boy cared about was getting home to his mother, who would surely be proud of him for managing to snatch some herbs without causing any more damage to his clothes, which at this point might as well have been rags. He ran so fast that he scarcely paid attention to where he was going, hoping to simply be a blur like the wind. No one had ever seen him well enough to catch him, and he doubted that anyone could if they did. Little did he know he was running closer to a very specific knight...

~ooo~

Jason was so distracted with his own thoughts that he nearly missed the young boy running straight toward his horse. He pulled back the horse's reins so hard it was almost lifted off the ground, and the child skidded to a stop just inches from colliding with the horse and its rider. "Woah now!" Jason exclaimed in surprise, whilst the child looked as though his heart was about to leap out of his chest. "Haven't you got eyes in your head?" The boy continued to stare while breathing heavily and shaking with fear. Deciding that he didn't wish to be the cause of a young boy's death by fright, the knight added "You need to be more careful about where you're going, you could get hurt or worse." The child ceased his trembling at these words and seemed to look more at ease. That was another crisis seemingly averted. "Where were you heading to in such a hurry anyway?" Jason asked suspiciously. "T-to my mother..." the boy began softly, apparently entranced by Jason's demeanor. Or perhaps he was still a bit wary, it was difficult to tell.

"Forgive my son," spoke an unfamiliar voice from seemingly nowhere, "he was just attempting to get home from the market before supper." A woman was now approaching the knight and boy, concealed almost entirely by a long, grey cloak, not entirely inappropriate for the late february weather, but still strange in that it concealed her face as well. "Mother!" the boy exclaimed in a voice that seemed far too relieved to be normal, and quickly ran to the side of this cloaked woman from nowhere. "No need to worry, m'lady," the knight dutifully proclaimed, "There was no harm done. Just make sure that your boy is a little more careful in the future." The woman began to shift her stance to a more relaxed pose, showing more of her face than before. "Because next time there won't be any brave knights to protect him, correct?" she said with a coy smile. "Actually," Jason began with a smirk, "Because most of the other knights patrolling around the kingdom wouldn't be so tolerant of thieves." The boy gained a shocked expression as Jason revealed the herbs that should have been in his pocket.

His mother was equally shocked when Jason handed said herbs to her with a wink and small smirk. The boy looked as though he was about to start panicking before the young woman waved her hand at him, stopping his attempted sentence. The woman then lifted her hood completely, revealing the sight of her full face for the first time. " I promise you," she said with an almost predatory look in her eyes, " he _won't_ be caught stealing again." Jason was slightly entranced by her gaze, in no part due to the fact that she was much lovelier than he had expected. In fact, looking more closely, it was hard to believe that she and the boy were related at all. The young woman now holding his gaze had wavy, raven-black hair and eyes that shone like emeralds, whereas the boy had straight hair the color of honey-wheat and eyes the shade of the sky. The knight had seen many members of the royal family during his short time with the Round Table, and if he didn't know any better he would say that the boy looked as though he were King Arthur's own child. But that would be preposterous, wouldn't it?

Jason quickly snapped his thoughts back to the present and reminded his mouth of how to make words. " I know," he somewhat awkwardly replied, his mouth still dry from making eye contact with a strangely beautiful woman, " I'll make sure of it." He was hoping to come off at least somewhat imposing, but somehow, he knew that it wasn't quite getting across. The alluring stranger grabbed her son by the hand and pulled him close to her while still smiling that strangely disarming smile. " I believe you." She gave a small flutter of her eyelashes before beginning to walk away. " What is your name, gallant knight?" she suddenly asked in an almost derisive tone. "Jason of Norwich." "Then I hope we shall meet again, Jason." As she began to depart, Jason suddenly felt the urge to call out "Wait!". She turned to him and said as though reading his mind "My name is Morgaine, if you wish to know." She then left with her son, leaving a startled knight in her wake.

~ooo~

The young sorceror who was currently walking back to his abode couldn't have been more confused. He almost got trampled by a horse and thrown in the dungeons, but his mother didn't seem the least bit perturbed. _And why was she speaking to that knight so politely, anyway?_ She had always talked about her hatred of King Arthur and all of his knights, so to see her act so demurely near one was almost a slap in the face. He had to have an explanation, NOW! "Mummy?" he tugged lightly on her dress, "Why were you speaking so nicely to that knight?" She looked at him fondly. "Because he could have gotten us into a great deal of trouble, but he chose not to." " Yes, I suppose so." The boy began to think back to how the man had seemed to care for his well being. "And besides," his mother began with a smile,"you thought he was rather nice, did you not?" "I suppose." the boy said with slight irritation. He knew that something wasn't right, and he knew that face his mother was making meant that things did not bode well for this strange knight.

**A/N: For clarification, the ")O(" symbol indicates a time skip (From a few minutes to a few months) and a possible perspective change, while the "~ooo~" symbol indicates a perspective change.**


	3. Aftershock

_Morgaine..._

That had been the name that she had spoken, hadn't it? It couldn't possibly be the same Morgaine, could it? King Arthur had warned all of the Knights of the Round Table, including Jason himself, that Morgaine le Fey was an evil sorceress, never to be trusted under any circumstances. But that woman had seemed so different than the king had described, and so much more fascinating besides. And the boy that she'd kept with her, Jason couldn't recall the king ever mentioning him. _He'd also never mentioned how attractive she was either..._ The knight was beginning to doubt that this woman could possibly be the magick-user of legend, and that he should even be thinking about her at all. Yet, as he passed through the market and back towards the king's palace (slipping some coins to the poor man whose stall had been robbed by that boy), the mysterious damsel seemed to not be willing to leave his mind. Jason knew that whoever this woman was, sorceress or not, she had placed upon him some sort of spell, and the king was going to be consulted sooner or later.

~ooo~

Meanwhile, a young witch in her small cottage on the outskirts of Camelot was wickedly grinning to herself while carving up what was left of the fruits she'd managed to save for the winter. _This is perfect!_ she thought with glee while slicing an apple in half, _My son just _happens_ to run into one of Arthur's most trusted knights? And the knight just _happens _to fall for the lovely mother of the boy?_ The slicing began to quicken in pace,_ I've practically just been handed the entirety of Camelot, and my dear brother doesn't even know it!_ She then stopped her slightly manic chopping and looked up thoughtfully, _But he might know soon, if that knight speaks about us..._ She glanced at her son, who was currently lounging on the slightly smaller chair near the fireplace, tearing the wings off a moth that had flown near him with a bored expression on his face. It was then that she was struck by a wonderfully wicked idea. _I suppose I will just have to arrange for more meetings with this Jason. Perhaps in time he will come around to our way of thinking..._

) O (

It was late. That much the boy knew. It was so late that the moon seemed to mock the lad by being more awake than he could ever be at this hour. As though it were saying, "Mordred you dolt! Don't you know the night is for nocturnal beings and not stupid children?" The child couldn't help it, he hadn't had much ease at sleeping for the past week. He couldn't move out of the bed either, lest he wake his mother who slept soundly beside him. He'd slept near his mother his entire life, yet at times like this he almost wished he could be alone to think. And all that was currently on his mind was that knight. _I know that mother wouldn't be kind to a knight if there wasn't reason for her to. The question is, of what sort? _He began to stare at the crude mobile of magical symbols that hung from the ceiling. They had been there for as long as he could remember, and he felt as though he'd spent his whole life staring at those symbols. Although he couldn't for the life of him understand why.

_It's just not fair! Having a secret that I don't know about. And what made that man so special anyway?_ The child began to pout almost exaggeratedly. _Although I suppose he did seem... different compared to those other Knights of the Round Table. Those others are always strutting around so arrogantly, not caring about who gets in the way of their showboating. But this one seemed so... humble I suppose, like he didn't belong with them. Sure he had the same long hair and chiseled features as those other louts, but there was something definitively _un_knightly about him. _The boy's features began to noticabley soften after watching the mobile spin on the night's breeze for a while. There was always something about watching it spin that could calm his mind, even in these circumstances. As he began to feel himself drift into the darkness of sleep, he wondered with a small smile what his mother would think if he were to become a knight like that Jason himself someday.

**A/N: Sorry for how short this chapter was, the next one is definitely longer!**


	4. The Next Encounter

There it was, the small alcove hidden in the castle walls, barely large enough for a child to squeeze himself through if he tried. It was so insignificant that none of the palace guards had ever found it, and the smirking youth doubted that they ever would. Thankfully, because of said guards' ignorance, the blonde lad now crawling through the inner walls had a way of entering the castle grounds whenever he so desired. Although with how much effort was necessary to get himself through the miniscule crevice, he felt that he wouldn't be able to do this for much longer, especially if he was to get any bulkier. _Though I suppose then I will have become king anyway... At least, that's what mother has always told me._

He managed his way through the inside of the palace walls the same way he did every other time he'd snuck in, knowing every nook and cranny he could hide behind if necessary. By memory, he made his way to his favorite spot, a small little alcove behind some barrels near the stables in the training grounds, hidden from view of anyone who wasn't looking directly in that area. Now it was just a matter of waiting for that strange knight to begin his mucking about in the training grounds with the other buffoons. The youth could see some of the others now; Lancelot, boneheaded to a fault, but many women in the village thought he was incredibly handsome; Percival, he was smarter, but a bit of a snob; and Justin, still practicing as hard as ever. These three were typically seen on days like this, but the question still remained; Where was Jason of Norwich?

~ooo~

Even after all these years, Jason could never fully feel comfortable in the king's palace. Perhaps it was because he was still so young compared to the other knights (aside from Justin), or perhaps because although Jason was quite close to Arthur, he always dreaded disappointing the man who had given him a new start in life. Regardless, neither of those thoughts was calming his already distressed nerves as he slowly walked to Arthur's study. He knew that he should have been outside training with the others as he did everyday, but the knight felt as though he absolutely had to tell the king about that strange possible-sorceress. If she had put any potentially life-threatening curses upon him in their brief encounter he felt he had the right to know. That, and Jason hadn't been able to get to sleep at a decent hour in a week and to him, witchcraft was as good an explanation as any.

He knocked on the door to the study, being careful not to knock very loudly, as you never know what you could be interrupting should you distract someone with loud noises. "Yes?" replied the king's voice from beyond the door. "It is Jason, Your Majesty. I wish to speak with you." "Well then," the king said quite affably, "do not be a stranger, come in Jason." Jason walked into the room very uncomfortably, and saw the king sitting in one of its chairs reading a rather ancient looking tome. "Pardon me for intruding, Sire." Jason spoke solemnly. "Tis quite alright, Jason. I was merely looking over an old spellbook from the East. It seems fascinating from what I can understand of it." _That's right, the king has been reading all that he can about magicks from all over, in order to find a better way of defending the kingdom, _the knight suddenly remembered. "Now," the king started with an inquisitiveness only he could muster, "What has you so troubled, dear friend?"

"It is a woman, sire." Jason spoke unsurely. "Ah," the king smiled to himself, "Mysterious creatures are they not?" Jason couldn't help but seem a bit puzzled at that response, but nevertheless continued on. "You see, I met a rather strange woman at the marketplace about a week ago, and she told me that her name was Morgaine." The king's smile was gone at these words and he suddenly spoke in a grave tone, "What did this woman look like?" Jason could still recall her appearance quite clearly, although he hated to admit it. "She had long, raven hair, and green eyes." he said whilst looking toward the ground. Arthur merely tilted his head downwards, apparently deep in thought. "Tis indeed my sister Morgaine le Fey." he spoke softly with a hint of malice in his voice, "Did you speak to this woman at all?" Jason couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed knowing that he had. "Yes, Sire, but only briefly." "Did she approach you?" "Yes, but only after I had stopped a boy for thievery." "I took care of it," Jason added after noticing the king's cross expression. "A boy, you say?" "Yes, my lord. She said it was her son."

The king's cross expression grew crosser still as he heard the sentence that had just spilled forth from Jason's mouth. "Your Majesty, might I be so bold as to ask why you never told us that she had a child?" "No you may not." the king said in a voice so sharp it could have cut steel. Jason stepped back, confused by his king's sudden rage. "My apologies, Sire." "Never mind, I do not wish to speak of this matter again." "Understood." "You are excused, Sir Jason." the king said with a small wave of his hand. Jason bowed and began to walk for the door, but was stopped when the king suddenly spoke out, "Whatever you do, I do not want you speaking to Morgaine or that boy again. You understand?" "Perfectly, Sire."

) O (

As Jason walked back to the training grounds where the other knights were blissfully hacking away at each other, he couldn't help but wonder what had set his king off. _And why did he not wish to speak about his sister's son? Perhaps there is something more to their family history than we have been led to believe? That woman did not kill me when I grabbed her child, so what I have seen already contradicts what I've been told._ He waved somewhat offhandedly to his fellow knights and figured that he should not be so worried and that the king had his reasons. Perhaps some training would help him to forget this whole debacle.

~ooo~

_Finally! _The lad was relieved from the endless boredom of waiting behind barrels and crates when Sir Jason had walked in the grounds at last. _Now all I have to wait for is a perfect opportunity to catch him by himself._ After what seemed like eternity, the boy finally got his chance when Jason had finished sparring with the one named Justin, who never seemed to stop talking. _A real annoying one, that one. _the youth thought with spite, _I can't _fathom_ what the others see in him. _He almost held his breath with anticipation as the strange knight walked closer to him. _Now's the time. Just have to remember what I'm supposed to say. _The boy appeared as from thin air in front of the knight, who gave a small startled jump. "Hello, Strange Knight!" the boy said in what he _hoped_ was convincing happiness. "What in God's name are you doing here!?" the knight had to stop himself from nearly screaming. "I am here to cordially invite you into our home." the lad said almost begrudgingly. The knight stared at the blonde child in a quizzical sort of way. "My mother's idea, not mine." As though there was any doubt who had sent the message.

"I do not wish to." Sir Jason said bluntly. "And even if I did, I have been forbidden contact with you or your mother." The boy harrumphed in an overstated way, and as the knight began to leave, grabbed him with some sort of strange green energy. "Did I _say_ you could walk away from me?" the youth almost gloated. If the knight had somehow any doubts that the boy was Morgaine le Fey's, it must surely have disappeared by now. "I went through all this trouble just to bring you a message, and you wish to simply _leave_? I don't think so." Jason pounded on the strange energy, but to no avail. "I was to take you to our home, and that is what I shall do, whether you like it or not." The knight had begun to scowl within his glowing confines, and the child realized that the way home was going to be a bit more complicated than he'd previously thought.


	5. In the Home of Witches

**A/N: I finally managed to get this chapter out! Sorry it couldn't have come out quicker, but my computer took a crap on me, so I had to rewrite this entire chapter from scratch. I still liked the original version of this chapter better, but I hope you enjoy regardless! I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible!**

The boy managed his way back through the castle's inner walls quite well, and as far as he knew, without the slightest possibility of being seen. An impressive feat, considering glowing green orbs with people inside them aren't exactly stealthy. Everything was going well, that is, until he approached the infinitesimally small crevice through which he'd entered. "You can't possibly expect me to fit through _there_." the captured knight said as though the lad was dumb as a door nail. "Well originally," the boy said, trying to match the knight's biting wit, "you were _supposed _to meet me in the castle-town so that I could lead you to where we live, but since you had to be _difficult_..."

The knight scowled within his glowing confines, knowing that the boy was enjoying his current discomfort. "I guess I will just have to use a bit more magick for this problem," the young sorcerer began while raising his arms, voice practically dripping with audible delight, "I hope you don't mind being shrunken down for the bulk of our journey."he finished with a smirk. "_Klicvaroc Thul!" _He hoped that he'd said the correct words for the spell, as he was still learning. "Wait!"Jason cried out, not wanting to be discombobulated any further. He needn't have worried, for the spell was correct and not life-threatening in the slightest. The knight watched helplessly as his rotund prison began to shrink in size till it was no bigger than a small stone. The blonde youth then pocketed the orb and continued through to resume his journey.

~ooo~

Jason couldn't see very much from inside the dark pocket, but he could still hear the various sounds that indicated the hustle and bustle of the castle-town. He had long stopped pounding against the emerald walls of his glowing cage (a fruitless effort anyway) and trying to shout for help (Who would hear him like this?), instead opting simply to try and orient himself and figure out where his captor might be heading. A task easier said than done, mostly because of the harsh bouncing the orb was subjected to inside the pocket. Several times Jason was sent sprawling against the walls, leaving him battered and his brunette hair a tangled mess. He knew that if this didn't let up soon, he would surely be sick.

Thankfully, after a few more minutes that seemed like ages, the knight began to hear the sounds of the town grow completely distant, and was finally released from the darkness surrounding him. "Now that we're outside the town walls, I doubt anyone will see where we're headed." the boy spoke matter-of-factly. Jason hoped that what he said was true, as it would be quite embarrassing to be found captive to a child who was barely taller than his legs. But the question was where they would be headed now that they were outside the walls. Could the magick-users' home be in one of the surrounding villages near Camelot? Apparently not, as instead of heading towards one, the youth headed towards the sprawling forest on the very edge of the kingdom.

) O (

After walking through the forest for what seemed at least a half-hour or so, Jason felt that he should be the one to break the silence. "You've been very quiet for a while now, haven't you?" The boy scowled and responded with "I didn't really _want _to be doing this, you know." Well, at least that was something. The knight figured that if he could keep the boy talking, he might be able to learn a little more about these strange sorcerers.

"You never told me your name." Jason let the statement hang for a while, almost a verbal challenge, before the boy suddenly replied with a soft tone "It's Mordred." _Mordred le Fey, huh?_ He supposed there were worse names. "Does it mean anything?" The lad looked at him as though he'd suddenly lost his mind. "It's just that most names have some sort of meaning to them," Jason attempted to explain, "Mine for example, means 'He that cures'." "You don't look like any sort of healer." the boy shrewdly observed. "Well," the knight began somewhat embarrassed, "We don't always live up to the expectations of our names..."

Mordred looked thoughtful for a moment, then said in a far-off sort of way, "I don't think mine means anything. As far as I know, I'm the only one who's ever had it." Jason began a small smile. "That's good then isn't it? It will always suit you, because you'll get to decide what it means." Since the child seemed to take his response well, Jason decided to try and dig a little deeper. "So," he started as carefully as possible, "Your father, Arthur never mentioned him to any of us knights, do you know who he is?" The boy nodded and then gestured ahead of their current location. "Why don't you ask my mother, if you're so interested?"

~ooo~

Morgaine was beginning to worry herself sick, wondering where her son could be at this hour. She knew that it would take some time to bring that Sir Jason to their abode, especially without being seen, but it shouldn't have been taking them _this _long. What if he'd been captured by the palace guards? She _knew_ she should have accompanied him. Just when she thought she wasn't going to be able to take it anymore, she was surprised by her son entering the cottage, followed by a perfectly executed spherical retention spell.

"Oh, Mordred, my sweet child!" the sorceress exclaimed as she ran up to greet her son, "Are you alright? You weren't seen were you?" She wrapped her arms around her dear child, who, seeming a smidge embarrassed, replied with "I'm fine, mother. Nothing happened, really." She felt much more relieved hearing the words coming from Mordred than just by surmising what happened based on how he looked. "Except," he added in a snarky tone, "for the fact that I had to practically drag Sir Jason here."

The witch looked at the glowing spell that still held the knight in its grasp and felt slightly impressed that her son had managed to keep it going for this long. "While I'm glad that you've excelled at what we've practiced," she spoke in a voice that was somehow simultaneously gentle yet firm, "you should know better than to tax your strength like that. Now, put Sir Jason down so that we may speak." Mordred complied, and the knight dropped to the floor like a stone in a well.

~ooo~

"Well," Jason tried to say somewhat casually, "Since I've been forced to attend this meeting against my will and the wishes of my king, I might as well hear what you've to say, witch." "Now," the woman said in a coy tone, "Is that any way to speak to the rightful ruler of Camelot?" The knight couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What do you mean by that? Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, not you." "True," she replied, "But, many years before that, the king Uther had a child with my mother, the sorceress Igraine. _I_ was that child." Jason had thought that Uther had only ever fostered one child, but then again, that whole business took place before his time anyway, so how was he to know? "When I had grown into a young girl of about eleven, Uther had found out about me, and, claiming to have been bewitched by my mother, had her sentenced to death."

"Shortly afterwards, he died himself of illness. Leading to that test regarding the sword." Jason simply nodded and tried to mentally sort out what he was being told. Mordred was also calmly sitting and listening to their conversation while at the same time twirling a carving knife around some kind of root. "I would have been the rightful ruler, had Merlin not spelled the sword to only be lifted by the _male _heir of Camelot." "But," Jason suddenly interrupted, "you still made an attempt on King Arthur's life, regardless." The sorceress responded with a short bark of a laugh. "Is _that _what he's told everyone? I figured as much."

The knight cocked his head at her in a questioning sort of way. "Oh? Is that not what happened?" "Of course not. He merely did not wish to acknowledge that he betrayed his wife's trust." "That's how I happened, wasn't it mother?" Mordred exclaimed from his chair. Jason's eyes widened at this new revelation. "You can't possibly mean..." "Yes, Arthur is Mordred's father. Not that he would ever admit it." "And how am I to believe this is true?" "Look at him," the maiden said while gesturing in her son's direction, "It's not difficult to see the resemblance." He had to admit that she had him there, the boy _did _look a great deal like Arthur.

"You haven't explained to me why I was brought here, Morgaine." Jason spoke quite impatiently. "I brought you here," she began in a predatory way while moving closer to him, "because I believe that you and I could be... friends to one another. I feel as though you could understand what I and my son have been through." "And why should I care about a witch and her child?" "Because I could tell you the _true_ history of the kingdom that Arthur has kept hidden over the years." "I am not interested." "Fine then," the witch said offhandedly, "but if you ever are, you know where to find us." At those words, Jason had disappeared from her cottage and was somehow back at the castle walls. He then realized that no amount of sparring was going to allow him peace of mind after _this_.


End file.
